Freshwater mussels inhabit rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. They are vital to their ecosystems, filtering water and cleaning our waterways. Jeanette Bowers-Altman, Principal Zoologist in DEP’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program, sits down with Gladys Giron to discuss this fascinating mollusk and its status in New Jersey, role in the environment, and how DEP aids in its conservation.

DEP is responsible for monitoring the quality of New Jersey’s water. One way by which this is done is through biological monitoring. The Fish and Headwaters’ Index of Biotic Integrity monitoring programs, also known as FIBI & HIBI, use fish and other aquatic species as measures of water quality. John Vile and Brian Henning, research scientists in DEP’s Division of Water Monitoring and Standards, Bureau of Freshwater & Biological Monitoring, sit down with Bob Bostock to discuss how the health of fish in streams can help scientists to assess the health and condition of the water, as well as to identify ecological changes.

It’s tick season, and those little buggers are biting with a vengeance this year. For many, ticks and other outdoor pests can put a damper on our favorite outdoor summer activities. It’s important to follow safety precautions to avoid these unwelcome guests on your summer adventures. Jim Occi, PhD graduate student in Entomology at Rutgers University, sits down with Bob Bostock to tell us more about these pesky pests.

Out of New Jersey’s 40 treasured state parks, Island Beach State Park and Liberty State Park are the largest and most-visited. With hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, dedicated state employees work hard to make sure the parks are up and running year-round. Superintendents Jen Clayton and Rob Rodriguez talk about the amenities, history and natural wonders that make their parks special, as well as the challenges that come up along the way.

This year, DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife is celebrating its 125th Anniversary. The Division has rededicated itself to its long-time mission of conserving wildlife and providing recreation opportunities for generations of hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts. New Jersey is home to a remarkable diversity of fish and wildlife species and hundreds of dedicated professionals to manage these resources. Larry Herrighty, Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, sits down with Bob Bostock to discuss the history of the Division, the wildlife that it protects, and how they’ll be celebrating this milestone throughout the year

Fishing is a popular pastime in New Jersey, and you can’t talk fish without mentioning the summer flounder, also known as fluke. New Jersey is pursuing an agreement regarding 2017 fishing regulations. Currently, New Jersey’s regulations for summer flounder fishing are: 18-inch minimum size, 104-day season, and 3-fish possession limit. To keep this recreational fishery strong, DEP is working with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to implement best practices that keep summer flounder population strong. Russ Allen and Al Ivany from the Division of Fish and Wildlife sat down with Bob Bostock to talk about summer flounder and its importance to New Jersey

Baseball is the National Pastime, but literally every pitch thrown in both the major and minor leagues carries a piece of the Garden State to the plate. That’s because for more than 75 years every baseball put in play has first been rubbed with a little bit of Lena Blackburn Baseball Rubbing Mud, which takes the shine and slickness off of the ball. This “Miracle Mud,” which is collected from a secret spot right here in New Jersey, is as much a part of baseball as peanuts and Cracker Jack. Chris Adair, part time assistant geologist in DEP’s Division of Water Supply & Geoscience, and Mike Morvay, director of grounds for the Lakewood Blue Claws minor league baseball team, sat down with Bob Bostock to discuss the important link between New Jersey’s geology and baseball.

This past spring, DEP partnered with Montclair State University’s Marketing Department to create a social media project for the Montclair students. The students were able to analyze 7 of DEP’s Facebook pages, give DEP’s social media administrators feedback, and create social media campaigns for Earth Week 2017. Now that the project is completed, Dr. Patrali Chatterjee and two of her students, Nathan Ellis and Rokhaya Fall, sat down with Bob Bostock to discuss this collaborative project and the positive outcomes it had both for DEP and Montclair State University.

The Blue Acres Program offers New Jersey residents the opportunity to sell properties that were damaged by Super Storm Sandy, or which lie in areas that are exposed to repetitive flooding damage. DEP works with homeowners in these areas to reduce the risk of future flood damage and to help families move out of harm’s way. Fawn McGee, Director of the Blue Acres Program at DEP, joined Bob Bostock to discuss the successes of this program and the process surrounding it.

May is Historic Preservation Month. This month is particularly exciting for DEP’s Historic Preservation Office (HPO), which works to preserve, protect and promote New Jersey’s historic resources. Kate Marcopul, Administrator of the Historic Preservation Office, sits down with Bob Bostock to discuss the important role that HPO plays in the state of New Jersey, including review and compliance, administering the National Register Program on behalf of New Jersey, providing technical assistance to developers, surveying and inventorying historic properties across the state, maintaining data, and everything in between.

To find out more about DEP’s Historic Preservation Office and New Jersey’s historic sites, please visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/.